You’re driving on the road and suddenly traffic comes to a halt. You wonder what’s holding up the route and when you’ll make it to your destination. You later discover that an accident has occurred on the road, leaving you to figure out alternative routes to reach your designated location quickly — or get lost and give up on getting there at all.
Much like traffic diversion, drug diversion works similarly in a health care setting. Medications must be effectively transported to the right patients at the right time without an incident preventing or
halting their delivery.
“Drug diversion is often undetected and underreported even though it is a known problem that every health care organization faces,” said Kate DiMedio, BSN, RN-PCCN, a diversion prevention specialist. “No hospital is immune to drug diversion and our leadership team has recognized this as a factor in patient and employee safety.”
Diversion prevention efforts at PAH began in 2019, and the first initiatives helped to inform the hospital program’s current structure, including the Diversion Oversight Committee which is involved in policy development and implementation, diversion response team activations, data surveillance, and training and education on drug diversion in health care. Some incidents of drug diversion in health care settings could be caused by high-stress situations.
“Health care workers have been on the front line of the pandemic, which has exacerbated stressors and burnout,” said DiMedio. “Diversion can occur when stress is higher.”
This can include accidental misplacement of medications, which can be prevented by simply asking staff to check their pockets for any items they may have left there. As part of program surveillance efforts, environmental sweeps are completed on every unit. Joan Miller, MS, MPH, CPhT, a diversion prevention coordinator, reviews medication transactions and documentation on a daily basis, working closely with DiMedio to escalate any concerns to leadership.
Employees are also encouraged to report any unusual behavior from colleagues or unfamiliar transactions for obtaining medications in order to help identify instances of personal misuse. In health
care, this is known to sometimes occur. “This program is here to support others and guide them through these issues,” said DiMedio. “We’re making sure they have the right tools and to feel empowered to speak up if there’s ever a problem.”
DiMedio hopes the committee will normalize discussions about medication safety in clinical settings and strengthen efforts for drug diversion prevention among staff.
“This committee is making sure that patients are receiving the care they deserve, while also making sure our employees are properly supported to provide the best care.”